Realisation
by stephumz
Summary: It's true what they say, the thing you want most is either right in front of you, or in the last place you look...BxG
1. End of the Road

**End Of The Road**

Betty was getting ready in her apartment. She was standing in front of the mirror, admiring the end result. Checking herself out, she told herself that she had done an excellent job without the help of Hilda or Justin, definitely a first for Betty. Surprising herself, she actually enjoyed dolling herself up.

Tonight was a romantic evening that Henry had planned for the two of them - dinner followed with a stroll through the park. They hadn't been on a date in a very long time. Rarely did they leave either apartment or meet up outside of the office.

Sitting down on the sofa, Betty pulled out her phone and stared at it. Nothing. No missed calls and no messages. This was crazy. It was ten minutes before Henry was supposed to be knocking on her door and it wasn't like him to be late – ever. He always made sure he was early and on time. Betty had a disturbing feeling about tonight. Trying to push the negative thoughts away and pass the time quickly, she decided to make herself a cup of calming tea.

Reaching the breakfast bar, she turned the kettle on and picked up the stereo remote. Pushing the play button, she filled her apartment with the harmonious tones of Boyz II Men.

Singing along, Betty made her drink once the water boiled. The CD kept playing and there was still no sign of Henry. _I'll make love to you, like you want me to, and I'll hold you tight, baby all through the night, I'll make love to you, when you want me to, and I will not let go till you tell me to..._Closing her eyes and swaying from side to side, Betty started dancing around the living room whilst cupping her mug with both hands while the music continued to flow throughout the apartment.

Betty found herself being seduced by the relaxing sensation of the camomile tea she was inhaling deeply; until she was interrupted by her phone alerting her to a message. Putting her mug down on the coffee table, she walked to the couch and picked up her cell. The message read;

_Hi Betty! Im so soz bout 2nite. I no we had a d8, but I've bin thinkn bout us a lot l8ly & jus can't compete wif ur work lyf & Gio. I hope u u/stand. Will luv u always. I guess we were jus neva ment 2 b. Henry_

Scowling from the message, Betty threw the phone onto the couch. Mumbling to herself, _'stupid math nerd used exactly 160 characters to dump me. How pathetic._' Realisation had started to set in. _'I've been wanting this relationship to work, because I didn't want to lose Henry to his baby mama. Betty snap out of it! There are more deserving guys out there.'_ She picked up her mug and walked back to the kitchen. Having been distracted by the break up message, Betty didn't hear the current track playing_...although we've come to the end of the road..._

'_It sure is the end of the road Betty Suarez. No more romantic entanglements'_ Betty said to herself before grabbing the stereo remote and changing the tracks. Whilst waiting for the stacker to load the next CD, Betty changed into her pyjamas, seized the nearest tissue box, sat down on the couch and pulled her knees into her chest. _All by myself, don't wanna be; all by myself, anymore..._started playing in the background.

----------

The doorbell rang the next morning jolting Betty from her slumber on the couch. "COMING!" She yelled toward the front door. Gaining her balance, she walked to the door but stopped in front of the mirror to check her reflection. Murmuring to herself, _'Oh dear! Betty all this over a stupid guy who couldn't commit in the first place?'_ shaking her head in disbelief at her stupidity, she fixed her hair and wiped her glasses, making herself a bit more presentable for 10 o'clock in the morning.

"Who is it?" Betty asked as she opened the door before hearing the answer. Yawning and stretching in the doorway, she didn't notice that it was Gio. When she realised, a shocked look came across her face and she slammed the door shut. _'__Why was Gio smirking and have _that_ look on his face?' _She questioned herself.

"Bettttty, open up please?! I'm making you breakfast!"  
"Gio, what do you want? Why are you here?"  
"B, I live across the hall from you. I heard you crying last night and ... and that song. You had it on constant replay...Open up Betty, please? It'll make you feel better, I promise!"

Finally opening the door, Betty allowed Gio to enter her apartment. Looking around, he noticed an empty tissue box with used tissues strewn around the coffee table in the lounge area. _'Oh B, I would never hurt you like this. Just give me the chance.' _Gio thought to himself. Hearing her last night ripped his heart out. All he wanted to do was console her and make everything better.

"Thanks Gio, but you really don't have to do any of this. I'm a big girl now." Betty said as he was unpacking groceries onto the breakfast bar.  
"I know B, but you're my friend and I don't like seeing anyone go through what you did; especially you. You deserve so much more. You're a special girl B."

Looking at Betty, he noticed tears starting to well up in her eyes again. He quickly put down the food items that were in his hands and pulled her into his arms.

"Come here B. Shhhh. It's going to be alright. Its Henry's loss. He couldn't see he had something so precious." Rubbing her arms up and down, Gio planted a kiss on her forehead and pulled her into a deeper embrace, which she mirrored by pulling into him also. Squeezing each other, they felt something wonderful start to develop between them. Realising everything she ever wanted and needed was in her arms at that moment, caused more tears to stain her face and now dampen Gio's shirt.

Pulling away from her, Gio tilted Betty's face and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.  
"It's alright Suarez. I'm going to make the best pancakes you've ever tasted! They will take your cares away – even if it is for only fifteen minutes!"

Laughing and sniffling, Betty wiped the rest of her tears with a tissue she hid in her sleeve. Gazing into Gio's eyes, she saw how much he cared for her, which gave her the reassurance of her feelings, but was it too soon? _'__I don't want him to be a rebound guy, he deserves a lot more than that...he is a lot more than that, and I just never wanted to admit it. I guess it'll be down to me to just be...__'_

Taking one more sniffle, Betty breathed deeply and kissed Gio softly on the cheek.  
"Thanks for everything Gio. You really are a great guy. I don't ever want to lose you."  
"And I never want to lose you Suarez! Alright, these pancakes aren't going to make themselves, I better get cooking!" Gio said as he pulled out of one last cuddle with Betty.

Sitting herself at the breakfast bar, Betty watched Gio masterfully take over her kitchen and prepare a breakfast fit for a queen. Mesmerized by his movements, she couldn't help but let her mind wander...Gio's the perfect guy. He is _the guy _so maybe, just maybe one last entanglement...

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Boyz II Men : "I'll Make Love To You", "End of the Road"

Celine Dion (et al) : "All By Myself"

Ugly Betty – characters : ABC Studios

No copyright or infringement intended 


	2. Somebody's Gotta Be On Top

**Somebody's Gotta Be On Top**

Weeks passed by and the best friends were spending an immense amount of time together. Betty was over Henry and found herself falling more and more each day for Gio. Not wanting to ruin their friendship, she was scared to make a move.

Grabbing a freshly made chicken salad sandwich from the counter, Gio walked out of his deli. Locking up for his afternoon break, he made his way into the Meade building.

Reaching his destination, he waited patiently til Betty got off the phone. He sat on the edge of her desk, startling her. Adjusting her hair and glasses, Betty realised who had just arrived at her desk. Turning her frown upside down, she pulled Gio towards her for a big hug. Closing his eyes, he savoured her touch and smell.

Taking one last deep breath, he then pulled away from Betty. Handing the sandwich over, he said "I thought you might be a bit peckish". Sitting back on the desk, Gio looked away sheepishly; he didn't trust himself with Betty at the moment. He was afraid he would do something that would jeopardise their friendship. He loved Betty and the friendship they shared, but the love he has for her is so much more that he wants to share that with her too.

Betty noticed the change of expression on Gio's face and quickly pecked his cheek. Blushing slightly, she sat down in her chair, unwrapped the sandwich and sank her teeth into it as quickly as possible._ 'I wonder if he noticed? His hugs are so comforting. He smells so good as well...Betty just concentrate on eating before you miss your mouth and make a fool of yourself...'_

"B, are you ok?" Gio asked as he softly rocked Betty's shoulder bringing her back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah, of course I am. Why?"

"You looked like you were stuck in Betty Suarez Land! I was rescuing you." Chuckling at his own joke, Gio was taken aback by Betty's response.

"Would you please?"

"Would I do what?"

"Let's do something tonight. I need an escape from everything. Come by my place after work and we'll hang out."

"Sounds good Suarez. I'll come by after I lock up. I'll cook dinner for us too – so I'm expecting a clean kitchen!"

"Great, thanks G. I can't wait. You know how much I love your cooking too. I'll see you later on. Enjoy the rest of your day"

"You too B." Leaning down, Gio wrapped his arms around Betty and resisted the temptation cover her with kisses. Pulling out of the hug, he found he wasn't able to move very far - Betty was still draped around his neck.

"Ahh, B...as much as I'd love to stay here with you, you are going to have to let go at some point." Breaking into chuckles again, Betty felt embarrassed and quickly pulled her arms back. Flashing a smile at Gio, his heart fluttered and he walked away with a beautiful memory.

----------

Stepping out of the shower, Betty wrapped a towel around her and walked towards her bedroom. She was interrupted when the doorbell rang. Looking at the clock, _'who could this be? I'm not expecting Gio for another half hour...'_ she thought to herself. Looking at herself in the mirror, she made sure she was decent enough to answer the door. Finally opening the door, she found nothing but brown grocery bags on the floor. _'Hmpf. Someone must have left them there by accident.'_ Betty thought to herself and without thinking twice she went to close the door.

"Betty wait!" Someone yelled from down the corridor. Reopening the door, Betty saw Gio walking towards her with another armful of bags.

"Gio what are you doing? I thought you were making dinner for two, not the entire apartment block!"

"I know it looks like a lot B, but it's not. Would you mind grabbing those two on the floor for me?"

"Sure." Betty leant down and grabbed the bags before walking back into her apartment. Gio couldn't help but notice that she was only wrapped in her towel. His mind started drifting, wondering what was underneath and how soft her skin must feel.

"Sorry for interrupting your shower; I wasn't expecting to get through the supermarket that quickly. I guess I was excited that I'm cooking dinner for us too."

"Oh, that's ok. I was just about to get dressed, so make yourself at home or whatever you want to do, I'll be out in a few minutes." Betty headed off towards her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

'_Whatever I want to do?! Oh Betty please don't tempt me like that. It's bad enough having to see you in just a towel' _Gio thought to himself. Resisting the temptation to follow her, Gio started to unpack the groceries.

_'OMG...why does he have to be so sweet and thoughtful and not to mention__ drop dead__gorgeous__...Betty stay calm and in control. Just have a good time and enjoy dinner tonight.' _Not wanting to overdress for 'dinner at home with a friend', Betty put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt. Taking one final look at herself in the mirror, Betty then opened her door and was greeted by a beautiful aroma.

Closing her eyes and inhaling the scent, she followed her nose and walked into the kitchen. Opening her eyes, she soaked up the image of Gio working away at her stove. Resisting the urge to sneak up and cuddle him from behind him, she raised her eyebrow and stared at his backside. Slowly, her mind wandered back to Suarez Land. Turning around with a saucepan in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other, Gio caught Betty staring. _'What is she doing?' _"SUAREZ! Am I distracting you?"

Jolting from her daydream Betty replied, "What? No...no...no distraction at all." _'Damn, he caught me staring. Have to be careful not to get c__aught again – especially staring south of the equator__; but how can one resist? Hmm...'_ Falling back into her thoughts, Betty turned around and walked over to the stereo. Looking through her CD collection, she found the perfect album to play. Pressing play and adjusting the volume for soft background music, Betty closed her eyes and started to dance slowly to the music. Losing herself to the music, she didn't notice Gio was setting the table.

_Somebody's gotta be on top, cocoa butter skin, I can't wait til I get in your body, somebody's gotta be on top..._After putting the final touches to the dining table, Gio stood there just watching Betty dancing by herself. _'Somebody's gotta be on top hey? I'll tell you who'll be on top one day!' _Itching to go over and embrace her, Gio pained to interrupt her, but had to; dinner was served.

"Come on B, dinner's ready!" Coming back to reality, Betty opened her eyes and this time found Gio staring at her. "See something you like?!" Quickly regretting letting those words leave her lips, she covered it up with "Great, let's eat!" and made her way to the table.

Looking puzzled, Gio held the chair as she sat down. Not wanting to comment just yet, he too sat down. "Hope you enjoy it Suarez. I've never made this for anyone else before."

"Are you kidding me? I love everything you cook. You're so talented." Taking a deep breath and soaking up the aroma, Betty looked at Gio and added, "Just smelling it, I know it's going to taste fantastic!"

Eating, talking and laughing made dinner fly by. Soon, they found themselves sitting around with dirty dishes and a small dining table between them. Sitting in her chair, Betty looked down at her empty plate. Letting out a deep breath she said, "Ohh I'm so full! That was the most delicious meal I've had since I left home! Thank youuuu so much."

Standing up and collecting the dishes, Gio replies, "Anything for my Betty", and gives a devilish smile with a seductive wink before walking off to the kitchen. Scrunching her face with confusion she just sat there analyzing his last actions. _'What was that all about? And _'my Betty'_ that was really sweet ...oh how much I wish I was _his_ Betty.'_

Betty joined Gio in the kitchen, grabbing a tea towel, she started drying the dishes after he washed them; stacking them to one side when she was finished with them. Gio finished washing, dried his own hands and started to put away the dishes. The friends continued talking and laughing as they put the dishes away together. Reaching for the next item, the found themselves trying to pick up the same plate. Still holding the plate, they looked deeply into one another's eyes. Snapping out of it, they both let go; thinking the other would still be holding it, but instead the plate fell to the floor, smashing into smaller pieces.

Both gasping and apologising profusely, they bent down to clean up the pieces, bumping their heads together as they squatted down. This sent Betty plummeting to the ground and propped up awkwardly against the nearby cupboards. Immediately Gio was worried for Betty; bobbing down to make sure she was ok, he helped her to sit up properly against the cupboards. This is where he noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes. "Betty, are you ok? I'm so sorry! I'm going to clean this up and you're not going to worry about a thing!"

"Gio, I'm fine" Betty said holding her head and trying to pick herself up. "No no no, sit back down please. You're not wearing any shoes; you could cut yourself. Please sit back down and relax B" Gio said keeping her on the ground. "Ok. Thank you."

Once the mess was cleaned up, Gio took a seat on the floor next to Betty. She was tired and he could see it. She leant her head against his shoulder and his natural reaction was to put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her in closer. Making herself comfortable, she snaked her arms around his back and held onto his waist, pulling him into her too. Enjoying the closeness but resisting the urge to start kissing her, Gio rested his head against her hers, giving her exposed temple a quick peck.

After sitting like this for a few moments, Betty decided that it was time for bed.  
"Ok sweetie, I'm really tired and I think it's time for bed."  
"Yeah, we've both got work in the morning,"  
"Thanks again for dinner it was delicious! We must do this again sometime, I had fun."  
"For sure Suarez."

Standing up, Gio held out his hand for Betty to grab. Looking up at Gio, Betty couldn't see his face, only the outline, because of the light just above his head. '_He's perfect in every light'_ thought Betty, chuckling on the inside. Taking hold of his hand, he pulled her up to her full height, but she lost her balance and nearly went crashing down to the floor again. Catching her before she was able to fall, Gio held her close and tight. Managing to regain her balance, she too held onto Gio a little bit tighter.

'_His lips are right there...they're so beautiful...his eyes are so mesmerizing...Betty you're falling big time! Be careful...'_

'_She's gorgeous...a bit of a klutz, but that's my B, unique, simple and beautiful...oh man, I'm in deeper than I thought...'_

With their faces an inch apart, they gazed into each other eyes and then the magic took over. Closing their eyes, their faces slowly began moving toward each other. Their heads were tilted in opposite directions and with their lips slightly parted, they were about to create their own fireworks display, when the moment was suddenly lost.

Irritated groans escaped from both of them, letting go of each other, they stood their looking at one another. Betty broke the gaze and looked to the kitchen bench to find her cell phone ringing. Returning her gaze to Gio, she found him staring at her with such love and desire. That was the moment that Betty had been waiting to experience so desperately for so long and now it was gone. Gio broke the pregnant pause.

"B, answer your phone, I was about to leave anyway. Sweet dreams, sleep tight and I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for a wonderful evening." Before turning to leave, he leant in and left a quick peck on her cheek. Winking one last time, he turned and headed for the door.

After hearing the door close, Betty looked down at her phone and answered, "Hilda, this had better be good!"

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Joe : "Somebody's Gotta Be On Top"

Ugly Betty – characters : ABC Studios

No copyright or infringement intended 


	3. Trade It All

**Trade It All**

"Ooh, what's happened Betty? Are you alright? Can't your sister call you anymore?" Hilda questioned.  
"Sorry Hilda, I was in the middle of something when you rang, that's all" sighed Betty.  
"Ohh! That's it! I want details girl! Give them to me. Something juicy was happening, c'mon tell Mama Hilda!"  
"No really, it's nothing. Gio and I just had dinner and we were saying goodbye. What is it that you are calling for?" Betty asked.  
"Ooh, did he cook for you? How romantic! Are you two uhh..." and before Hilda could finish her question, Betty butt in.  
"No! Hilda! He did cook for us but we are just friends who were having a lovely night at home."

Betty knew it felt like so much more, their friendship had grown considerably the last few months and even more recently the sexual tension was heightening rapidly. Betty then zoned out completely and was dreaming about what could have been, had the phone not rung, blocking Hilda out altogether.

"BETTY!" Hilda screamed down the phone.  
"Huh? Yeah yeah dinner was delicious; he's such an amazing cook! There's so many great things about Gio I could go on forever..." Betty retorted quickly, repeating the thoughts that were going through her mind, instead of answering the question.  
"I knew it Betty! You like him! You really like him!" Hilda said in a sing songy voice. "Why don't you guys go out? How could you resist him for so long Betty? I know I couldn't, if he was interested in me. He's a great catch. I think you should go for it."

"Oh I don't know Hilda. What if it doesn't work out? Then our friendship becomes awkward. I don't want to lose him as a friend."

"But Betty, having him as more than your friend, will bring you so much more joy. Even if it doesn't work out, then at least you tried it rather than not knowing at all and forever thinking 'what if'"

"That's true Hilda. I guess I'll see what happens tomorrow. Wonder if that nearly kiss caused any damage"

"WHAAAAT??? You didn't tell me that part Betty! You nearly kissed? When?"

"Just as you called!" Betty said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, oops...sorry! Alright Betty, I'm going now. Do me one favour, just take that risk, you'll regret it if you don't and even more so if he gets snapped up by someone else!"

"Yeah alright Hilda. Thanks! Bye" Betty said before ending the call. As she put her phone down, she said aloud to herself, _'what was she calling about anyway?'_ Shrugging her shoulders, Betty walked over to her front door and looked out the peep hole. Staring at Gio's door, she felt the urge to knock on it and take her risk. Instead, she sighed deeply, turned around and leant against the door. Sliding her way down the door, she sat on the floor with her knees pulled into her chest. She sat there listening to music that was coming from one of her neighbours.

----------

After entering his apartment, Gio dropped his keys onto the hallway table. As he walked through the living room, he picked up the remote to his stereo and pressed play.

_Girl, I'd trade it all, money, cars and everything...All, even give up my street dream...All, anything to have you on my team...All, baby girl I'd trade it all..._

Two stepping his way into his bedroom, he unbuttoned his shirt and hung it behind the door. Throwing himself onto his bed, he just lay there replaying the final events from Betty's apartment.

_I assume I'm so into you...Cause even before we hit the bedroom...I was friends wit you..._

'_Imagine what could be happening right now, had that phone never rung.' _Gio thought to himself. _'It's wrong to be thinking those sort of thoughts, we're just friends. We can't ruin our friendship...But what if it works between us – then that's a great thing. We can get married and settle down...WOAH COWBOY! You don't even know if she wants you like that...that kiss could've just been a moment that meant nothing...just wait for tomorrow and see what happens...' _Gio was now fighting between his head and heart.

Sighing heavily, Gio closed his eyes and listened to the rest of the song playing until he drifted off to sleep.

_But yous was wifey, could change me to a groom in a minute boo...Maybe, my sense of humour gets inta you...But girl they could make a perfume from the scent of you..._

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Fabolous feat & Jagged Edge : "I'd Trade It All Part 2"

Ugly Betty – characters : ABC Studios

No copyright or infringement intended 


	4. DreamLover

DreamLover

The sounds of Betty's distant alarm woke her suddenly, although, noticing her surroundings, realised she wasn't in her bed. _'I must have fallen asleep on the couch...'_ she thought, before holding her head in one hand; it was feeling like a bowling ball. Slowly getting up off the couch, she made her way into her kitchen and put the coffee machine on. She then put a couple of slices of bread in the toaster and walked off to the bathroom to get ready.

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Waking up bleary eyed, Gio looked towards his clock. Squinting to make out the numbers, he suddenly became aware of the time. Moving as fast as he could, he went to pull the covers off but noticed he had fallen asleep on top of his sheets last night. Pushing the imminent ponderings aside he was determined to get ready and make a run to the deli as fast as he could.

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Managing to get ready in record time, Betty zoomed around the kitchen preparing breakfast for on the run. After pouring coffee into her travel mug, she shoved the toast into her mouth so she could hold onto her coffee and grab her bags at the same time. Before leaving the apartment, she did one last look to make sure she had everything before dashing out the door.

----------

Getting dressed, Gio put on the nearest shirt he could find, which wasn't creased, and a pair of worn jeans. Splashing water on his face in the bathroom and brushing his teeth, he couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the previous night. _'I was so close; we were so close. What does this mean for today? And the rest of our days? Will we make it? Or will this have broken our friendship? Nahh man, she wants me...she wants me bad...'_ He didn't have time to shave, but looking in the mirror, he didn't think he looked that bad, in fact, he thought he looked more mature with a bit of stubble showing. Grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, Gio picked up his keys also and headed for the door.

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Opening the door, Betty managed to get the door to slam behind her as she rushed out with her hands full of bags and coffee. Standing in the middle of the corridor, her hair was already a mess and her glasses askew. Sweeping her head to one side, she was able to shake her hair out of face. When her eyes refocused, Gio was standing in front of her.

"Oh! Good morning Gio! How are you this morning?" Betty said with the toast still in her mouth. Gio chuckled quietly and looked at Betty with his head tilted on an angle; not quite understanding what she had said, he continued the conversation.  
"Looks like we're both running a bit late this morning! Did you have a big one last night with some guy?" Gio then removed the toast from her mouth.  
"Thanks. HA HA very funny Gio. Actually someone was playing their music really loud, so I sat up listening to it for a little while. They were beautiful songs."  
"Ahh sorry about that B, that was me." An embarrassed Gio said.

The two stood in silence looking at each other. Suddenly, Betty felt the need to straighten her glasses, although, forgetting that her hands were full, she failed miserably.

"Ahh let me get that" said Gio as he straightened her glasses for her with his free hand. Once they were seated properly, he let his hand drop down by her face and rested it on her cheek. Gently caressing her jaw with the backside of his hand, Betty closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

Leaning in, Gio's lips were just about to graze Betty's when "Good morning neighbours!" was bellowed from someone down the hall. Pulling away quickly, Gio glanced towards the neighbour with such a look of disgust on his face, but still managed to return the morning greeting.

Betty opened her eyes and found herself staring at the side of Gio's face. _'Am I ever going to taste his lips?' _she wondered to herself. _'Perhaps it's just not meant to be...'_

"Come on B, we're going to be late. I'll give you a lift." Holding out his hand, Betty wanted to put her own hand inside of it, but instead handed him one of her bags.

----------

Arriving at the Mode, Gio walked Betty up to her desk and put her bags down beside her desk.  
Breaking the silence, Gio said, "Alright Suarez, you have a good day and I'll see you for lunch! Don't work too hard sweetie" before leaving a gentle kiss on her cheek.  
Watching Gio walk to the elevator, Betty rested a hand on her cheek.  
Closing her eyes, the most appropriate song popped into her head;  
_Dreamlover come rescue me...Take me up take me down...Take me anywhere you want to baby now...I need you so desperately...Wont you please come around...Cause I wanna share forever with you baby..._

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Mariah Carey – "DreamLover"

Ugly Betty – characters : ABC Studios

No copyright or infringement intended 


	5. UnBreak My Heart

**Un-Break My Heart**

Working through her day, Betty didn't have time to stop and have lunch with Gio at the deli, so instead she made a phone call.  
"Hey Gio! I'm really sorry but I can't make it for lunch today, I've got too much work that needs to get done."  
"That's alright B. I'm pretty busy here too. A last minute catering order came through. We'll have to do lunch another day or perhaps we can do dinner again." Gio said, with the hopes that she'll say yes.  
"Sure! That sounds like a wonderful idea. I should be able to finish on time today by working through my lunch."  
"Excellent! In the mean time, my Eater can't go without her sandwich, so I'm going to send something up for you. Hope you enjoy it Suarez!"  
"Thanks G! You know I will! Talk to you later. Bye!"

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After running errands for Daniel, Betty returned to her desk and found a square gift box sitting on her desk. With an intrigued look on her face, she dropped her bag and papers on the desk and sat down. Pulling her chair closer to the desk, she gazed at the box with her fingers hovering above the ribbon. Unsure of who sent her this package, she began wondering if someone left it there as a thankyou/sorry present for taking the sandwich she was expecting.

Betty's desk phone rang, and before she could get a single word out, Daniel asked, "Will you open it already?!" before putting the phone down. He had been watching her the whole time. He probably saw who took my sandwich...unless HE took it and wants to see my reaction! Betty thought to herself.

Without further hesitation, Betty picked up one end of the ribbon and tugged on it gently. Exposing the box, she held onto either side of the lid and lifted it up. Dropping the lid onto the desk, she grabbed the post-it note from on top of the scrunched tissue paper.

Betty's face lit up as she read the note;

_I wrote this note especially for you,  
__I really miss you and I hope you do too.  
__I think we are the perfect match,  
__Just like turkey and sundried tomatoes, natch!  
__Unfortunately, this poem has come to an end,  
__But I will see you soon, my dear friend._

_Meet me at the deli after work! ;)  
Gio x_

Sticking the note to her computer monitor, Betty removed the tissue paper to reveal her favourite sandwich.

Munching on her sandwich while she continued to work, Betty was on cloud nine for the remainder of the afternoon. Thankfully, time was flying by and she was getting through her tasks on time.

Glancing at the clock, Betty realised that it was five to 5pm. Remembering she had to meet Gio at the deli after work, she slowly began packing up her desk. Not wanting to look to eager, Betty made her way downstairs a few minutes past 5pm.

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Arriving at the deli, she noticed it was in darkness and the closed sign was on the door. Trying the door handle, Betty discovered the door was open. Unsure if she should enter, Betty stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"B, take a seat. I'll be out in a minute!" Gio said from the backroom. Putting her bag down, she sat at the only which hadn't been put away for the evening. Making herself comfortable, she noticed that the table had been set for two. _'What's going on here? I thought we'd have dinner another night; it didn't have to be tonight because we missed lunch. He really is the sweetest guy. I wish I could see him everyday...uhh Betty, you DO see him everyday...yeah yeah, but like wake up next to him and everything like that...'_

Talking to herself and caught up in her own thoughts, Betty didn't see Gio walk towards the table. He placed a single candle in the centre of the table and lit it with match. Leaning down, he pecked Betty on the cheek and started the conversation as he sat down.

"So how was work? I didn't want to distract you earlier, so I got Daniel to pick up the box and put it on your desk. Did you enjoy it?" Gio asked.  
"Work was very busy but I got through it all today. Thanks to your gift too. Without it I would've run out of steam and wouldn't have made it tonight. So what's going on?" Betty questioned.  
"Well B, I enjoyed making you dinner last night and thought we could do it again – sooner rather than later.  
"That's fine Gio, but what's with the candle and the dark deli? What are we doing here?  
Feeling a bit disheartened, Gio looked down at his hands. Betty noticed his mood change and quickly rectified the situation. Reaching out she pulled one of his hands onto the table and rubbed it gently. Looking at him reassuringly, Betty said, "Ohh Gio, I didn't mean it like that. The effort is lovely and I'm glad that we're spending more time together..." Still caressing his hand, Betty looked at him lovingly.  
"I thought we could have a change of scenery from the apartment, that's all." Gio mumbled.  
Pulling his hand out of Betty's, he stood up from table and said, "I'll put some music on, while we wait for the food," as moved off to the back of the deli again.

Betty sighed deeply and slumped in her chair. The thought was genuine and she went and ruined it. Now she had to make it up to him. The first thing she did, was turn off her phone. Music started playing softly in the background, recognising the song, she started humming the tune.

_Unbreak my heart...Say you'll love me again...Undo this hurt you caused...When you walked out the door...And walked out of my life...Uncry these tears...I cried so many nights...Unbreak my heart..._

Time was passing so slowly, she felt it was ages since Gio left to go behind the counter. Deciding to surprise him, she left the table and made her way to the back. As she got closer to the back kitchen, she saw Gio standing in front of the stove. Creeping up behind him, she got as close as she could to his back then rested her head on it. Startling him, she continued to get closer to him. She fumbled her arms around his waist and pulled into him.

"B, what are you doing?" Gio asked with a hint of annoyance, as he turned to face her.  
"I was getting lonely out there." Betty said whilst putting on a sad face.  
Turning back to the stove, all he said was "Please sit down, I don't want you getting burnt."  
Feeling that she lost the battle, Betty removed her arms from around his waist. At the same time, some oil splattered on her arm and she winced in pain.  
Moving her away from the stove, Gio took hold of her arm and thrust it under the tap. Turning on the cold water, he washed the area then dried it with a paper towel.  
"See Betty, I didn't want you to get hurt. I understand it's lonely out there, but the dinner will be ready soon." Handing her an icepack, Betty made her way back into the front of the deli.

A few moments later, Gio started to set the table. Placing plates and cutlery on the either side of the table, he noticed that Betty was very quiet and sombre. Pulling his chair round to hers, he sat down and looked at her face. Taking her injured arm in his hands, he brought it up to lips and kissed it softly.  
"I'm sorry B. This wasn't meant to happen. I just wanted us to do something different for dinner. I wanted to make tonight special."  
"It's the thought that counts G. I'll be fine. Thank you. You're a wonderful host. I'm sorry for trying to hug you whilst you were cooking, that was just silly, I wasn't thinking safety at all...I just wanted to hold you." Betty said as she shyly looked away.  
"That's alright B, hopefully, there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to hold me!" Gio said as he got up from his chair. Putting the chair back, he winked at Betty and told her that he'll be back with the food.

----------

The friends ate dinner, once again, laughing and talking over good food and some wine.  
"Gio, you've really out done yourself this time!" Betty said admiringly.  
"Thanks B. For some reason, you just inspire me to create and try new recipes. And what better way to experience them, than with my muse!" Gio answered.  
"Your muse?" Betty was confused.  
"Yeah, my muse! Now come on, let's dance!" Gio said as he stood up from the table and stretched out his hand offering it to Betty. Gladly taking it, she placed her hand within his and was hoisted up to a standing position. Gio's hands sat on Betty's waist perfectly, as did her arms around his neck and together, they started to dance the night away.

Gio guided his hand to rest on the small of her back, making sure to pull her in closer to him. Avoiding the temptation of his lips being so close, Betty turned her head slightly and rested it on his shoulder. Kissing her hair, Gio then grabbed one of her hands firmly and spun her out and back in. Searching each other's eyes, they both knew that this time, neither of them could deny the attraction. Gio held her tightly and bent her slightly backwards, leaning into her; he covered her lips with his own. Finally they shared their first kiss. Whilst deepening the kiss, moans of satisfaction escaped from both of them.

Finally pulling away from the kiss, Gio brought Betty back up to full height. Speaking first, he said, "Betty, I can't stand just being your friend anymore. I've liked you from the moment I first met you, and over time have just fallen deeper in love with you. Seeing everything you've been through, I know what you need and I want to give that to you. I'll understand if you don't want to, we can –"

Betty put a finger up to his mouth to silence him. "I want to. You've always been there for me and I can't imagine my life without you."

Pecking her quickly, Gio said that they should clean up and then head home.

Once the deli was tidied up and ready for business the next day, Betty picked up her bag and waited for Gio at the door. Arriving at the door, he took Betty's hand in his and asked jokingly, "Your place or mine?!"  
"Does it matter?!" Betty replied, trying to wink seductively.  
"Come on let's get out of here!" Gio said as he closed the door behind them.

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Toni Braxton – "Un-Break My Heart"

Ugly Betty – characters : ABC Studios

No copyright or infringement intended 


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